2001 BMI Country Awards: Event Photos

BMI President & CEO Frances W. Preston (left) is pictured with Country Songwriter/Artist of the Year Toby Keith and BMI Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Nashville Paul Corbin at the 49th annual BMI Country Awards, Nashville (11/6/01).

Willie Nelson accepts the BMI President's Award from Frances W. Preston, President & CEO of BMI (right) with BMI Vice President Writer/Publisher Relations/Nashville Paul Corbin at the 49th annual BMI Country Awards, Nashville (11/6/01)

Country Songwriter/Artist of the Year Toby Keith is pictured with BMI President & CEO Frances W. Preston at the 49th Annual BMI Country Awards, Nashville (11/6/01)

BMI President & CEO Frances W. Preston (left) is pictured with Tia Sillers, writer of BMI's Country Song of the Year "I Hope You Dance", and the song's publisher Irwin Z. Robinson of Ensign Music, at the 49th annual BMI Country Awards, Nashville (11/6/01)

Winners of BMI's 49th Annual Country Awards, from left; Songwriters of the Year Marv Green and Aimee Mayo; Tia Sillers, writer of "I Hope You Dance," BMI's Country Song of the Year; Ensign Music's Pat Finch; Lee Greenwood, winner of BMI's "Words of Freedom" Award; BMI Songwriter/Artist of the Year Toby Keith; BMI President and CEO Frances W. Preston; President's Award Winner Willie Nelson; Ensign Music CEO Irwin Robinson; Warner-Tamerlane's President and CEO Les Bider, BMI Country Publisher of the Year and Warner-Tamerlane Executive VP & GM Tim Wipperman.

BMI songwriters Sara Evans and Steve Wariner are pictured at BMI's 49th annual Country Awards, Nashville (11/06/01)

CMA Award winner and BMI songwriter Sara Evans is pictured with BMI songwriter Sheryl Crow at BMI's 49th annual Country Awards, Nashville (11/6/01)

Shown at the 49th annual BMI Country Awards are co-Songwriter of the Year Marv Green, recording artist Lee Ann Womack, Tia Sillers, writer of the BMI Country Song of the Year "I Hope You Dance", President's Award winner Willie Nelson, and co-Songwriter of the Year Aimee Mayo. Nashville (11/06/01)

BMI Award-winning songwriter Vince Gill and his wife Amy Grant are pictured at BMI's 49th annual Country Awards, Nashville (11/06/01)

BMI Words of Freedom Award winner Lee Greenwood is shown during his performance of "God Bless the USA" at BMI's 49th annual Country Awards, Nashville (11/06/01)

Lt. Vincent Louis of the FDNY (left) is pictured with BMI Words of Freedom award winner Lee Greenwood and with fellow firefighter Lt. Michael Dilena and NYPD's Lt. Stephen Reardon of the city's Emergency Services Unit during the 49th annual BMI Country Awards, Nashville (11/06/01)

BMI songwriter Kenny Chesney is pictured with Miss America 1999 Nicole Johnson at BMI's 49th annual Country Awards, Nashville (11/06/01)

VH-1's John Sykes is pictured with BMI songwriter Sheryl Crow at BMI's 49th annual Country Awards, Nashville (11/06/01)

BMI's Country Songwriter/Artist Toby Keith is pictured with fellow BMI Award-winning writer keith urban at BMI's 49th annual Country Awards (11/06/01). Keith won the CMA Male Vocalist of the Year award, and urban won the Horizon Award at the CMA Awards the following evening.

Willie Nelson, who was presented with the BMI President's Award, greets special guests Lt. Stephen Reardon of the NYPD (left) and Lt. Vincent Louis of the FDNY, at the 49th annual BMI Country Awards, Nashville. Lts. Reardon and Louis were presented with the BMI Profile in Courage Award (11/6/01).

CMA Award winner and BMI songwriter Sara Evans is pictured with BMI songwriter Sheryl Crow at BMI's 49th annual Country Awards, Nashville (11/6/01)

Legendary BMI songwriter Willie Nelson is pictured with his fellow BMI writers Sheryl Crow and Travis Tritt at the 49th annual BMI Country Awards, Nashville. Nelson and Crow appeared together on the CMA Awards show the following evening. (11/6/01)

BMI songwriter Sheryl Crow greets special guest Lt. Stephen Reardon of New York's elite NYPD Emergency Services Unit at the 49th annual BMI Country Awards, Nashville (11/06/01)

Award winning BMI songwriter Travis Tritt is pictured with his wife Theresa Tritt at the 49th annual BMI Country Awards, Nashville (11/6/01)

Award winning BMI songwriter Aaron Tippin is pictured with his wife Thea Tippin at the 49th annual BMI Country Awards, Nashville (11/06/01)

BMI Words of Freedom award winner Lee Greenwood is pictured with his wife Kim at the 49th anniual BMI Country Music Awards, Nashville (11/06/01)

Joe Galante, Chairman, RCA Label Group BMG Nashville (left) is pictured with BMI songwriters Sara Evans and Sheryl Crow, and BMI Vice President Writer/Publisher Relations, NY Charlie Feldman at BMI's 49th annual Country Awards, Nashville (11/06/01)